Type-bar-operating mechanism.



1. ALEXANDER.

- TYPE EAR OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOVy I3, IQIII` L, l 5659i v Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

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J. ALEXANDER. TYPE BAR OPERATING MECHANISM. `APILl/TION FILED NOV.13 1914.

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l nu n- JESSE ALEXANDER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE W.

POTTER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JESSE ALEXANDER, a citizen of the United States of America, and residing at New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Type-Bar-0perating Mechamsm, of which the' following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide a key and type bar action of simple construction and having a light touch and a l quick action. In the accomplishment of this object 'I operate the type bars from the key levers yby means of links which are pivoted to the key levers at their lower ends and have both a lost-motion and a positive driving engagement with the type'bars at their up er ends.

nother object is torender possible the bodily adjustment or removal of all the type bars in respect to the body of the machine. This object I have accomplished by connecting the type bars with the key levers in such a way that they may be readily detached therefrom and by supporting the type bars in a segment which 1s capable of being adjusted `in res ect to the frame or wholly detached there rom.

.A further object is to make possible the .simultaneous adjustment of the tension of all the key levers. I accordingly provide a spring comb having spring fingers bearing on the key levers and mount this comb in a supporting bar which can be adjusted to- Ward and away from the key levers for the purpose of increasing or decreasing the tension on all the keys at once.

Other features of the invention will appear as the specification proceeds. f

In the drawings accompanying this speciication I have illustrated in concrete form, a practical embodinient of the invention but I would have it pnderstood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the true scope of the invention.

Figure 1, is a vertical sectional view of a. typewriter embodying the invention witlr the parts shown in their normal position of rest. Fig. 2, is a similar view`w1th the parts in theprinting position. Fig. 3, is a combined top plan and side view of'one of the type bars;I Fig. 4,1is a combined edge and side view ,ofypne cf theintermediate Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 19.15.

Application filed November 13, 1914. Serial N o. 871,8'79.

Fig. 5, is a broken detail viewillustrating one method of adjustably and detachably supporting the type bar segment. Fig. 6, 1s a broken detail View of the key tensioning means -showing a form of adjustable and detachable support therefor, this view being taken looking from the front toward the rear of the machine. Fig. 7, is a plan view of the comb plate and its supporting bar. Fig. 8, is a detail view of one of-the spring fingers, illustrating its engagement with one of the type bars.

In the illustration, the frame, which may be of any approved construction, is designated 1,1.k The key levers 12, are suitably pivoted in the frame, as by being engaged on a pivot pin or rod 13. The type bars 15, are pivoted'at 16 in a type bar segment 17. This type bar segment is, in the present illustration, adjustably and detachably mounted in the z frame by means of screws 18 passed through slots 19 in the segment into engagement with screw seats provided in the segment plate 20 at the back thereof. This segment plate may be secured direct to the side plates 11a of the frame, substantially as indicated in Fig. 5.

The driving connections from the key levers to the type bars are in the form of intermediate links 22 pivoted at theirlower ends at 23 to the key levers and having at their upper ends a positive driving connection with the type bars for starting th'e printing stroke and a lost-motion connection for continuing the printing stroke. In the illustration the initial positive driving engagement is effected by providingthe type 'is located closer to the pivotal center than the positive driving connection and the leff fos verage therefore is greatest at the start.

.From the foregoing it will be clear that' upon depression of the key lever, the intermediate link will be drawn downl and the rearwardly-extending arm on the upper end of said link eugaging lwith, thelgg -on the rear end of the type bar arm willl start the type bar on its printing stroke, utilizing the full leverage of the type bar arm. The type bar arm is thus started with a quick movement and by reason of the direct pull on the arm and the considerable leverage exerted only a light touch is necessary.

- After the type bar has been thus started on its printing stroke, .the lost-motion connec tion becomes effective and serves to carry the type bar the balance of the stroke to Athe full printing position. At the end of the printing stroke the lug .25 on the type bar arm may be caused to engage the rear edge of the intermediate link as indicated in Fig. 2 to start the type bar on its return stroke.

To permit of the removal of the segment andy type bars the connections between the type bars and key levers are preferably made readily detachable'. This is accomplished in the illustration by providing the intermediate links with keyhole slots 30 whose larger ends are of sulicient size to take the heads of the headed pivotstuds 23' on the key levers. Disengagement is effected by depressing a key lever and then holding the type bar in elevated position' while releasing pressure on the key.v The key spring then exerts its forceto throw I the lever upward and carry' the pivot pin 23 up into the enlarged upper end of the slot,

slightly to effect a disengagement of the shoulders from the pivot pins. f

The key levers are yieldingly supported by the spring fingers 33 of a comb plate 34, which extends transversely beneath the key levers and with the fingers 33 thereof arched upward into engagement with the lower edges of the levers. These fingers may be grooved at their ends as indicated at 35,

Fig. 8, to fit the edges of the levers. The

vspring comb is carried by a suitable supporting bar 36, as by being engaged in a grooveway 37 therein and this bar is shown as engaged at its ends on the screw studs 38and held in adjusted position on said studs by the check nuts 39. It will be evident that by the raising or lowering of the spring comb the tension on all. the key levers may be simultaneously ad]usted.

The invention is of marked simplicity,

the parts few and light in weight and the action is a' quick one and light of touch.' The tension of the key levers and hence the force required to operate the machine may be readily determined by shifting the spring comb in respect to the key levers and by the one and the same adjustment the tension of all the keys is fixed. The bodily removability of the type bars is of especial advantage in that it permits of the ready removal and substitution of diiferent kinds of type in the same machine. p Y

What'I claimisz- 1. In a typewriting maichine, ai key lever, a pivoted type bar provided with .an arm extending rearwardly from the center of pivotal support, a link pivoted to the.l key lever and having a positive driving engagement with the type bar arm at .a point remote from the pivotal center at the commencement of the printing stroke thereof and a lost-motion connection between said link and type bar arm'located at a point closer vto the pivotal center than the aforesaid positive driving connection.

2. In a typewriting machine, a key lever,

a pivoted type bar provided with an arm extending rearwardlyy from the center of pivotal support, a link pivoted to the key lever at its lower end, a lost-motion connection between the upper end of the link and the type bar arm and an arm on the upper end of the said linkextending rearwardly y from the lost-motion connection and engaging the typebar arm at a point in rear of said lost-motion connection. v

3. Ina typewri-ting machine, a key lever, a pivoted type bar provided with a rearwardly extending arm having an angularly extending lug at the end thereof, a link pivoted to the key lever at its lower end, a lost- 'p motion connection between the upper end oi' said link `and the type bar arm andan arm on the 'upper end 'of the link extending rea`rwardly from the lost-motion connection into position above the angularly extending lug iie on the type bar larm to thereby provide 'a positive driving connection with the type' bar at the commencement, of the printing stroke. c

4. In a 'typewriting machine, a pivoted type bar, providedwith an erin extending rearwardly from the center ofrpivotal*support thereof, a pivoted key lever,- an intermediate link pivoted to the key lever at one i end and engaging the` type bar'arm'at itsopposite end at a point remote from the piyotal center at commencement' of the` priming stroke, a lost-motion connection between the link and type bar ar'm loeated'at a' point less remote from' the pivotal center and arranged to become elfecti've after commencement vof the printing strokel and. the fsaid type b ar arm engaging' the rearjedge of -the interme diate link at the end o the 'printing stroke,

to thereby start the type bar on its return stroke.

5. In a. typewriting machine, a pivoted vkey lever, a pivoted type bar, an intermedite link pivoted to the type bar at its upper end :1nd provided with a keyhole slot in its lower end, said slot being formed withv a shoulder adjacent to and above the lower end thereof and a headed pivot stud 0n the key lever engaged normally beneath the shoulder of the keyhole slot.

6. In a typewritng machine,.a supporting frame, pvoted key levers mounted in the frame, pivoted type bars, connections from the key levers to the type bars, a type bar segment supporting the type bars and provided with slots in the ends thereof, and securing screws passed through said slots into the supporting frame whereby said segment carrying with it the type bars may be ad-l justed and seemed in adjusted position on the frame.

l JESSE ALEXANDER. Witnesses:

GEO. A. MARSHALL, GEORGE W. POTTER.

Copies of thi patent my be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Batents Washington, D. 0. 

